I found your videos by happy accident, as I subscribe to Mr. Venturella's channel. I really enjoy the way the two of you present the information. It's almost like sitting across from you, sharing a coffee, and having a conversation. Thank you. The two of you have helped me take my miniature painting up several levels, and made the whole process so much more enjoyable and satisfying.
Most art supply stores sell really cheap colour wheels. They usually have a ton of cool little things miniature paint producers don't make, as well as a bunch of alternatives to the common GW tools and brushes. For instance I have a double pot water pot with textured insides for easier brush cleaning, a ton of holders for brushes and even a lid that doubles as a palette. I think it's a really good idea for painters who are just progressing past the newbie point to go into an art supply store and dig around for fifteen minutes. Even experienced painters tend to walk out of there for the first time with something they didn't know they needed until they saw it on the shelf.
Hi Atom! been a long while... when talking complementary colors, it doesn't mean colors that look good next to each other. It means the two colors complete each other. When the two complementary color are mixed they neutralize each other, becoming grey or brown. There are 3 different color wheels out there (RBY, RBG, CMY). We as miniature painter typically follow the traditional RBY (Red,Blue,yellow) color wheel.
That's only partially correct, while they do cancel each other out... when placed next to each other, they create the strongest contrast for those particular two colors. Due to this striking color clash, the term opposite colors is often considered more appropriate than "complementary colors".
I already use the color wheel since a long time ago. Another tips is to look the color of sports team like hockey or football... It's an good way to see if you like some sort of colors being together! :)
thanks for taking the time to explain color wheel theory as it applies to minifig painting. you had mentioned color wheel theory before and it had got me to do sone homework and put up a color wheel at my workbench but I still felt like I was in the dark when it came to properly applying color wheel theory to minis mainly because I thought I had to use triad color schemes and such. Also now every time i see strawberries at the grocery, the color wheel science factoid is going to pop into my head... In fact now in going to have to bring a color wheel into a grocery...
Triads are good for colour schemes for your army. If you look at official GW colour schemes, Ultramarines are blue with gold trim. Imperial Fists are yellow with red trim, etc. Also the phrase "Black goes with anything" also applies to whiles, like the white helmets of Ultramarine leaders.
SabreXT Yeah, you can use one triad colour as the main, one for the trim, and the third colour can be used for detailing (for the Imperial Fists example, you can use blue for things like purity seals) to make them pop.
I watched the Six Questions for Pro Painters video and they mentioned color theory so then I thought, well dang, now I have to find a video on that, but the next video to pop up was this one. Pachow!
Colour wheels are also great for mixing. I actually bought a dial Colour Wheel. that contains a lot of on the spot information. In theory you only need the three prime colours, as well as black and white to make any other colour and shade. I will not pretend that it is easy though But I think it is a skill worth practicing. if nothing else a practiced knowledge of mixing colour will help avoid disasters like bad mixes which turn the paint green.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh nearly got first comment! Great stuff as always. I now listen to your live streams when painting, helps the time go by, makes the painting less of a chore and more enjoyable.
I sometimes use the colour wheel but a lot of the time, i just wing it. Its meant that i get some wild colour combos though i mainly do that for the hair. Bright pink, Blue & Purple etc etc I guess i have been lucky so far but i think that painting colours that fit the model in general is a good guide line. A generic wizard can be painted in almost any colour though a Dark Elf warrior has a very limited colour scheme so fluff/lore plays a major part for me in how i want to paint my minis :)
I think one other key thing you probably should have pointed out with a color wheel... is that it shows you how to mix colors as well. You want that Secondary color? Mix these two Primaries. You want this Tertiary color? Mix these two etc etc. I mean.. unless you're someone who never mixes colors and just uses what they can buy haha! Good video though, I'm always surprised at how many people aren't familiar with how to use a color wheel, but then again... I went to art school lol.
Pick up a used copy of Color Index (Kraus) to help out with seeing how a variety of colors mix and match... it's primarily for cmyk/rgb mixing however the examples it shows can help differentiate good and bad/conflicting color combination choices - bad/conflicting color choices can be a good thing if you're going for chaos/tzeentch/slaanesh themes. It's also small format so it fits in most painting toolboxes.
this is actually a really good idea, you should patent it before GW make them and charge about £20 for it.... but yeah jokes aside I think it would be best printed wouldn't it? just because the physical colours are represented differently to digital colours? I think that's the case anyway please correct me if I'm wrong.
The hearty Gamer True, but to be honest, I'd say the colour wheel is more of an idea sparker than a proper reference anyway. The best use for a printed colour wheel, I think, is as a reminder to USE those colour tricks, because it's easy to not think about...
Nice video, thanks. I recently found an android app to save your collection of paints, finding which e.g. army painter coolor is the best alternative for a given citadel paint. and it also tells you which paint is the best fit in reference to the color wheel, as you just explained. It's called paintRACK.
Ok, so if I paint black then my highlights should be white? Im thinking of doing my Stormcast Eternals black with gold trim. My idea is abbadon black as a base, eshin grey as highlight and stormhost silver as superhighlight. Finish of with an all over coat of 'ard coat to get a super polished, shiney finish...
Got an app from the android store (free) called "Color Harmonizer". Works great so far and can also split complimentaries and much more. I don't profit from this app. Just found it after this video and it looks like it's working great.
Unless I'm painting something historical, and thus, know what colors to use, I stick to a very limited palette. Black, gray, white, these are all great colors for the color blind. XD
Some added info for people, the classic colour wheel based upon red, blue and yellow being the primary colours (like the one shown in this video) does not reflect the way different wavelengths of light truly interact or are perceived by the eye and brain. It's better to use a wheel based upon red, blue and green or yellow, cyan and magenta as the primaries (and for an even truer understanding, avoid the wheel altogether and use the horeshoe instead, although that is probably a bit arcane for most people's understanding and probably also way beyond what people need).
I have a question: why do you not use a wheel with the cyan-magenta-yellow (CMYK) primaries? It's supposed to be the right one, and changes things quite a bit. On that wheel, green is not red's complementary, it's cyan, and yellow's complementary is blue, not purple, so blue and yellow don't make green, it's yellow and cyan (again). Those are huge "mistakes", but I keep seeing this red-yellow-blue wheel. Is there a reason for that? Am I missing something? I'm genuinely curious. Thanks
I was always taught the regular one with the red-yellow-blue primaries (which *are* the primary colors) in art classes in school. The CYMK model only seems to apply to the CMYK printing process. Thanks for watching!
Lukas Foss Grey. ;) You could, of course, think of the grey as a muted colour, seeing what tint the original grey has, then use a complementary version for accents.
Grey can be mixed by combining complimentary colors. This allows you to make the grey have hints of color in it. Look for colors that go well with the particular shade of grey.
It's only Roy G. Biv because the guy that studied them was obsessed with numerology., and really wanted 7 colours and to spell a name.. The Rainbow, should be ROYGBP Which would be the 3 primary & 3 secondary colours (alternating)
The problem is there are different colour wheels that give you different opposite colours. There is a 300 year old discussion if indigo is a colour or Newton's scham to make basic colours equal to music notes. And if there should be violet in place of purple. Continuous ones like the Adobe thing are closest to how our brains get colours actually but still far.
I may suggest you avoid these colours: purple and red, purple and blue, yellow and green, these mixes tend to not work. But, it seems all colours go together, it's just a matter of who you ask. Though, scientifically, I don't think purple and red is meant to work. The colours that don't work as well tend to be one away from each other, like the ones mentioned.
Was there a Pa-chow? I think there were no Pa-chows in this one. Maybe I missed it. I don't think I did but then again I was distracted half way through. So maybe I did miss it.
The sound on the vid is awful now. Far too much mid-low and low (base). Makes you sound as if you are attempting to talk through your sinus with a cloth covering your face.
Color wheels are great tools, but they don't tell you how to actually make the colors you'd want to use. We offer a color catalog optimized for acrylic paints as a companion to our precision hobby paint dispenser, StudioPal. This cutting edge tool can definitely help take the challenge out of using the color wheel, and will undoubtedly simplify and speed up the creation of your next custom color scheme. Here is an introductory video, th-cam.com/video/Tdp9w2ix2-E/w-d-xo.html and informational web site, www.huesoncue.com. By the way, it's available now on Etsy.com (See links on the website's Products page).
Color wheels are great tools, but they don't tell you how to actually make the colors you'd want to use. We offer a color catalog optimized for acrylic paints as a companion to our precision hobby paint dispenser, StudioPal. This cutting edge tool can definitely help take the challenge out of using the color wheel, and will undoubtedly simplify and speed up the creation of your next custom color scheme. Here is an introductory video, th-cam.com/video/Tdp9w2ix2-E/w-d-xo.html and informational web site, www.huesoncue.com. By the way, it's available now on Etsy.com (See links on the website's Products page).
I found your videos by happy accident, as I subscribe to Mr. Venturella's channel. I really enjoy the way the two of you present the information. It's almost like sitting across from you, sharing a coffee, and having a conversation. Thank you. The two of you have helped me take my miniature painting up several levels, and made the whole process so much more enjoyable and satisfying.
Most art supply stores sell really cheap colour wheels. They usually have a ton of cool little things miniature paint producers don't make, as well as a bunch of alternatives to the common GW tools and brushes. For instance I have a double pot water pot with textured insides for easier brush cleaning, a ton of holders for brushes and even a lid that doubles as a palette.
I think it's a really good idea for painters who are just progressing past the newbie point to go into an art supply store and dig around for fifteen minutes. Even experienced painters tend to walk out of there for the first time with something they didn't know they needed until they saw it on the shelf.
This is a great idea for a new episode, too. Thanks for watching!
Adam I come back to this video so often. Thanks for 7 years of help!
As a skaven general, the only wheel I need is a DOOM WHEEL!
Yes yes, man-thing, man-thing!
Saint Scylla The horned one is pleased with tour sacrifice to the wheel.
Hi Atom! been a long while... when talking complementary colors, it doesn't mean colors that look good next to each other. It means the two colors complete each other. When the two complementary color are mixed they neutralize each other, becoming grey or brown. There are 3 different color wheels out there (RBY, RBG, CMY). We as miniature painter typically follow the traditional RBY (Red,Blue,yellow) color wheel.
That's only partially correct, while they do cancel each other out... when placed next to each other, they create the strongest contrast for those particular two colors. Due to this striking color clash, the term opposite colors is often considered more appropriate than "complementary colors".
Encouraging and humble videos, I thoroughly enjoy them. Those hands though....they have lives of their own, I've noticed!
I do generally talk with my hands. Thanks for watching!
"Print it out, but not on a black and white printer"
Brilliant 😂
I'm here to help. Thanks for watching!
That is actually quite alright if you are working on Black Templars.
I already use the color wheel since a long time ago. Another tips is to look the color of sports team like hockey or football... It's an good way to see if you like some sort of colors being together! :)
thanks for taking the time to explain color wheel theory as it applies to minifig painting. you had mentioned color wheel theory before and it had got me to do sone homework and put up a color wheel at my workbench but I still felt like I was in the dark when it came to properly applying color wheel theory to minis mainly because I thought I had to use triad color schemes and such. Also now every time i see strawberries at the grocery, the color wheel science factoid is going to pop into my head... In fact now in going to have to bring a color wheel into a grocery...
As a former art teacher, this makes my heart sing
Glad to help. Thanks for watching!
great vid! I like using both the RYB and RBG color wheels, it gives you a second option if your looking for matches for a specific color.
Thanks for a brilliant color wheel intro/tutorial!
Glad to help. Thanks for watching!
Triads are good for colour schemes for your army. If you look at official GW colour schemes, Ultramarines are blue with gold trim. Imperial Fists are yellow with red trim, etc.
Also the phrase "Black goes with anything" also applies to whiles, like the white helmets of Ultramarine leaders.
SabreXT Yeah, you can use one triad colour as the main, one for the trim, and the third colour can be used for detailing (for the Imperial Fists example, you can use blue for things like purity seals) to make them pop.
I watched the Six Questions for Pro Painters video and they mentioned color theory so then I thought, well dang, now I have to find a video on that, but the next video to pop up was this one. Pachow!
I just recently looked into this more thank to Nick over at IDICBeer and the science behind color theory is rather interesting. Great video, as usual!
Thanks for the tips, I'll start using it right away. It would be great to see this applied in a Sam tutorial video.
I'll let him know. Thanks for watching!
Love your content! I'm new to painting miniatures and find your videos satisfyingly resourceful.
Good vid. Still have my color wheel from the 1970's. Used it once, memorised it, packed it. :-)
That Adobe colour wheel looks pretty good. Thanks for the link. A colour wheel is something I have to get to using more.
+Spiro Dotgeek It is pretty useful, I use it at work all the time, too. Thanks for watching!
Thanks Adam. I watch you all the time, and always forget to press like. Sorry, and thanks for your great videos and advice.
Thanks for liking, and thanks for watching!
Always nice to go back to the basics :)
I love your Uncle Adam introduction. It's a great funny.
Recorded by a friend of mine, and old time radio man. Thanks for watching!
Colour wheels are also great for mixing. I actually bought a dial Colour Wheel. that contains a lot of on the spot information. In theory you only need the three prime colours, as well as black and white to make any other colour and shade. I will not pretend that it is easy though But I think it is a skill worth practicing. if nothing else a practiced knowledge of mixing colour will help avoid disasters like bad mixes which turn the paint green.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh nearly got first comment! Great stuff as always. I now listen to your live streams when painting, helps the time go by, makes the painting less of a chore and more enjoyable.
+Joshua Atkinson I'm glad the recordings of the live shows help you paint. Thanks for watching!
Man, I love these videos. Thanks for posting a good diversity of content!
Always glad to help. Thanks for watching!
another superb video. Its like im learning. but its fun! also makes sense as to picking colours on guys especially such as "plasma" weapons in 40k!
I learned quite a bit from this video. Thanks!
Always glad to help. Thanks for watching!
I sometimes use the colour wheel but a lot of the time, i just wing it. Its meant that i get some wild colour combos though i mainly do that for the hair. Bright pink, Blue & Purple etc etc
I guess i have been lucky so far but i think that painting colours that fit the model in general is a good guide line. A generic wizard can be painted in almost any colour though a Dark Elf warrior has a very limited colour scheme so fluff/lore plays a major part for me in how i want to paint my minis :)
I love how fast he puts up these videos. Why hasn't he been picked up by GW or something yet.
gm?
+Joshua Lingbloom Well, I live in America and they're in the U.K., so maybe it's just the distance. Thanks for watching!
When the other miniature painters see uncle Atom and his color wheel:
*music starts to play* They see me rollin', they hatin'... :-)
I think one other key thing you probably should have pointed out with a color wheel... is that it shows you how to mix colors as well. You want that Secondary color? Mix these two Primaries. You want this Tertiary color? Mix these two etc etc.
I mean.. unless you're someone who never mixes colors and just uses what they can buy haha!
Good video though, I'm always surprised at how many people aren't familiar with how to use a color wheel, but then again... I went to art school lol.
Same here. Thanks for watching!
Pick up a used copy of Color Index (Kraus) to help out with seeing how a variety of colors mix and match... it's primarily for cmyk/rgb mixing however the examples it shows can help differentiate good and bad/conflicting color combination choices - bad/conflicting color choices can be a good thing if you're going for chaos/tzeentch/slaanesh themes. It's also small format so it fits in most painting toolboxes.
Great tip. Super helpful. Thanks!
Thank you for this video. Helped a lot and need to look more into this.
I do love me some Red-Green combo, but probably go to it too often. I'll try to break out the color wheel next time. Good stuff, thanks!
Red and green always makes me think of Xmas, which I generally am not trying to invoke when I paint my toy soldiers. Thanks for watching!
Love this! Great show!
That disclaimer is hilarious 😂
Nice to have videos like this rather than more AOS related videos.
I worked this out before I ever started painting, I'm very well dressed nd so are my miniatures :)
Uncle Atom, I'm sure you have answered this somewhere, but what is your mic model that gives such a great sound?
I use a shotgun mic connected via XLR to a digital recorder, then sync the file with the scratch audio from the video in editing. Thanks for watching!
this is actually a really good idea, you should patent it before GW make them and charge about £20 for it.... but yeah jokes aside I think it would be best printed wouldn't it? just because the physical colours are represented differently to digital colours? I think that's the case anyway please correct me if I'm wrong.
The hearty Gamer True, but to be honest, I'd say the colour wheel is more of an idea sparker than a proper reference anyway. The best use for a printed colour wheel, I think, is as a reminder to USE those colour tricks, because it's easy to not think about...
Screen colors do look different to printed colors to some degree, it's true. Thanks for watching!
That makes sense, thanks for sharing! :)
Here's a nice mnemonic we learned in school:
Richard
Of
York
Gave
Battle
In
Vain.
We (in grade school) learned it "backwards". . . .
Roy G. Biv
great Subject, how about a video about how to organize yourself to paint an army without changing schedule in the middle? Thanks!
That wheel looks great on you uncle
I could get a tattoo. Thanks for watching!
Really good video.
So should we use cmyk rgb standard colour wheel and does each have different uses in terms of what to paint or how to mix ???
what about colors like grey and white and brown and black?
Nice video, thanks. I recently found an android app to save your collection of paints, finding which e.g. army painter coolor is the best alternative for a given citadel paint. and it also tells you which paint is the best fit in reference to the color wheel, as you just explained. It's called paintRACK.
I've heard good things. I wish they'd make it for iOS, I'd love to try it out. Thanks for watching!
Is there a way to place black/browns/white on a color wheel?
Ok, so if I paint black then my highlights should be white? Im thinking of doing my Stormcast Eternals black with gold trim. My idea is abbadon black as a base, eshin grey as highlight and stormhost silver as superhighlight. Finish of with an all over coat of 'ard coat to get a super polished, shiney finish...
Well explained
I'd love to see those imperials fist with purple shadow ;)
Got an app from the android store (free) called "Color Harmonizer". Works great so far and can also split complimentaries and much more.
I don't profit from this app. Just found it after this video and it looks like it's working great.
Unless I'm painting something historical, and thus, know what colors to use, I stick to a very limited palette. Black, gray, white, these are all great colors for the color blind. XD
How do Metallics come in to play? How do you know which Metallics “go together” with your scheme?
Some added info for people, the classic colour wheel based upon red, blue and yellow being the primary colours (like the one shown in this video) does not reflect the way different wavelengths of light truly interact or are perceived by the eye and brain. It's better to use a wheel based upon red, blue and green or yellow, cyan and magenta as the primaries (and for an even truer understanding, avoid the wheel altogether and use the horeshoe instead, although that is probably a bit arcane for most people's understanding and probably also way beyond what people need).
I have a question: why do you not use a wheel with the cyan-magenta-yellow (CMYK) primaries? It's supposed to be the right one, and changes things quite a bit. On that wheel, green is not red's complementary, it's cyan, and yellow's complementary is blue, not purple, so blue and yellow don't make green, it's yellow and cyan (again). Those are huge "mistakes", but I keep seeing this red-yellow-blue wheel. Is there a reason for that? Am I missing something? I'm genuinely curious. Thanks
I was always taught the regular one with the red-yellow-blue primaries (which *are* the primary colors) in art classes in school. The CYMK model only seems to apply to the CMYK printing process. Thanks for watching!
nice video as usual. just a quick question since you are an art major, what would be a complementary color to grey
grey isn't a colour, it's a shade. Anything goes with grey however.
Lukas Foss Grey. ;) You could, of course, think of the grey as a muted colour, seeing what tint the original grey has, then use a complementary version for accents.
Grey can be mixed by combining complimentary colors. This allows you to make the grey have hints of color in it. Look for colors that go well with the particular shade of grey.
It's only Roy G. Biv because the guy that studied them was obsessed with numerology., and really wanted 7 colours and to spell a name..
The Rainbow, should be ROYGBP
Which would be the 3 primary & 3 secondary colours (alternating)
good video sir
Good tips! :)
Now how can i make use of this with my..?
Black Legion
Iron Hands
Adeptus Custodes
&/or
Black Templars?
maybe a good video idea would be about desk lamp, with natural light etc.
Lighting could be a good topic, true. Thanks for watching!
You remind me of Robin Williams from Baron Munchausen with that color wheel around your neck.
The problem is there are different colour wheels that give you different opposite colours. There is a 300 year old discussion if indigo is a colour or Newton's scham to make basic colours equal to music notes. And if there should be violet in place of purple. Continuous ones like the Adobe thing are closest to how our brains get colours actually but still far.
trying to figure out a good paint scheme for my new runewars army.... This is really hard
+Grimmlocked I haven't looked too hard at the models yet. Thanks for watching!
Gw seems to use the triad colour theory for their space marines, blue, red, gold (yellow king of)
Thx dad
How to paint little people, a book from Uncle Atom
Should also help you with color mixing!
you've speld colour wrong ;)
great video's learn't a ton from you thanks!
You've spelled 'spelled' wrong
after watching other videos, not sure this is the best go to video for understanding color theory and how to use a color wheel.
I just think of sports teams when deciding what colors I want to use together.
Dwarf blood bowl team is coming. :D
Mine's on back order from my local shop, sadly. Thanks for watching!
colour theory thruthers quiver after atom says "AKA purple"
POCKET COLOR WHEEL Artist's Paint Mixing Guide $5.00 on E-BAY.
Nice, that'd be good to have. Thanks for watching!
I may suggest you avoid these colours: purple and red, purple and blue, yellow and green, these mixes tend to not work.
But, it seems all colours go together, it's just a matter of who you ask. Though, scientifically, I don't think purple and red is meant to work. The colours that don't work as well tend to be one away from each other, like the ones mentioned.
Lindybeige!
Is this why Ultramarines used to have color schemes of blue, yellow and red?
the light spectrum doesnt "loop"
Technically true, but the 'color stick' wouldn't go around my head. Thanks for watching!
wait......your NOT my Uncle?? Nooooooooooooooooo
+Mc1gamer Not that I know of. Thanks for watching!
Was there a Pa-chow? I think there were no Pa-chows in this one. Maybe I missed it. I don't think I did but then again I was distracted half way through. So maybe I did miss it.
are you actually an atom smasher? fermilab?
Sadly, I don't work there. Thanks for watching!
This is an inconclusive answer. Although I thought you said you studies arts in a different video...
Roy G Biv...and btw...Science is real.
Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain
This would be great to use if I wasn't color blind, I can only see about 4 colors on that wheel.
I would argue that spelling it 'color' is also incorrect....
The sound on the vid is awful now. Far too much mid-low and low (base). Makes you sound as if you are attempting to talk through your sinus with a cloth covering your face.
I have a colour wheel but I never use it, maybe I should :( lol
Uncle Atom is not actually an uncle???! My life is a lie....
So everything goes with everything.
I bet his name isn't even Atom.
I thought this was just common sense.
Uh-oh for me, then! :)
Color wheels are great tools, but they don't tell you how to actually make the colors you'd want to use. We offer a color catalog optimized for acrylic paints as a companion to our precision hobby paint dispenser, StudioPal. This cutting edge tool can definitely help take the challenge out of using the color wheel, and will undoubtedly simplify and speed up the creation of your next custom color scheme. Here is an introductory video, th-cam.com/video/Tdp9w2ix2-E/w-d-xo.html and informational web site, www.huesoncue.com. By the way, it's available now on Etsy.com (See links on the website's Products page).
Color wheels are great tools, but they don't tell you how to actually make the colors you'd want to use. We offer a color catalog optimized for acrylic paints as a companion to our precision hobby paint dispenser, StudioPal. This cutting edge tool can definitely help take the challenge out of using the color wheel, and will undoubtedly simplify and speed up the creation of your next custom color scheme. Here is an introductory video, th-cam.com/video/Tdp9w2ix2-E/w-d-xo.html and informational web site, www.huesoncue.com. By the way, it's available now on Etsy.com (See links on the website's Products page).